Connecticut western news., 1887-09-28
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2S, 1887.
SALLSB URT HONORS THE NA-
 TTON'S HEROES!


 TONS HEROES!
 The reunion of the glorious Old Seventh, at Lakeville last Thursday, was an event every way worthy the scared veterans ia their shattered ranks; worthy of the grand chieftain, who still commands his men by the love he has ever had for them worthy of old Sails bury, picturesque among her hills and valleys, sufficiently echoing with cannon on this occasion to remind us of days gone by sufficiently draped with the stars and stripes to tell us that the ancient band of copperheads was dead at the same tune bright with patriotic women, who fought the most beautiful battles of the war and are still fighting them {; also manly with manly men who where putting their whole soul into the work of making the veterans feel delici- ously at home.
 The rain was falling gently as we stepped from the cars, but notwithstand- ing the rain 8 well-known voice, that had often been heard midst the roar of battle, sounded along the platform, " Fall in p and in minute nearly 200 men dropped into line as though long roll was sounding. But alas, the ranks bristled with umbrellas instead of bayo- nets and the missiles that greeted them were the gentle, pattering rain drops instead of whizzing bullets. Forward march p and away they file down street, fanked on either side by the stars and stripes, to the Town hall, instead of Holley's grove, where the reunion was to have taken place. Tramp, tramp, tramp, once more the boys were marching, but not to the conflict of deadly weapons, but to the encounter of hearty hand shakes, kind words and kinder looks. After MT Norton's warm and delightful speech of welcome and Gen Hawley's characteristic response, work began at once, organizing, reading minutes of last meeting, making out the roster, picking up names of comrades scattered from the Atlantic to the Paci- fic, no one too degraded to be over looked. Then came the solemn ques- tion, "Who has died during the past year ?" Here most tender scene oc- cured. In the minutes the monument to Mrs Hawley had been noticed in appropriate words and tender. The scene was very affecting. Gen Hawley made no speech, but he spoke. There was no stopping over. Now and then a tear stole down & bronzed cheek and the slightest quiver was discernable in the Generals voice. The scene was nobly human, and some thought spirit ual too, for white soul seemed near. In the whole affair 1t may be remarked there appeared no red-visaged war. Distance had lent mellowness to those ghastly scenes, and you could see the fringes of 8 great epic of the war which is yet to come, but not until the whole is softened in the mellowine light of memory and tradition.
 The soldiers always knew how to eat and the ladies of Salisbury knew well the blind side of their game. They feasted us with fat thing and with no, not with " wines upon the lees well refined" No wine, no lager, yet there was lager beer bottle and filled with $ liquid very much resembling the req stuff. It was presented to the comman der. "No, thank you" he replied. "1 take vinegar on cabbage" But we had all manner of goodies ham baked meat and beans, with a coat o orthodox brown, rich chicken pie, more savory than Delmonico ever furnished to his epicures, mince pie, apple pie New England pumpkin pie, various fruits, and rousing coffee, that maketf glad the heart of the soldier and al this served by as fine ladies as eve graced the dining hall of the White House.
 After dinner came the speeches o1 the veranda, while the audience wa seated on the lawn, midst much sun shine and music on the cannon and b, the band. Gen Hawley can hardly b' said to have made speech, and yet h' was living speech from beginning tt the end, as the colored man said : "Rt was dar ebery time" He reminded me of what I once heard said of H. w Beecher, That he had the genius witl ease to ascend and descend the entir, gamet of human society, now rompins with the children, now interesting the youth, now communing with the mos staid and intellectual So with thi singular commander of the Seventh a home with his boys in the reunion a home in the gubernatorial chair a home in the senatorial halls. Such man was not macle, he greu, and h grows on, and l like him more an, more. and if I could have nag like wonld like him into the White House.
 The chief event of the day was tn snupeaxance among us of Confede1 - officer, Col Olmsted. of Savannah
 nobas spscimen of 2 man